Another evolutionary step for albums as Lady Gaga plans app release

Nick Ayala, 11 September 2012

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Lady Gaga's next album will be available as an app.

Last week on her social site, LittleMonsters.com, Lady Gaga announced that her next album, ARTPOP, will be available as an app in addition to the physical and digital versions. Set to be released in spring 2013, the ARTPOP app will feature “chats, films for every song, extra music, content, gaga inspired games, fashion updates, magazines” and the promise of additional updates to come. We listed Album Evolution as one of our 100 Things to Watch in 2012, and also discussed it in our 2011 music report, forecasting “more re-imaginings of the album from artists collaborating with software developers and multimedia or transmedia innovators.”

Björk helped to launch the genre with her high-concept 2011 app album, Biophilia, and we’re likely to see other big names follow her lead. Last November, Billboard quoted Sting saying that “the app is the new model” for album releases. And taking advantage of Spotify’s app platform, Matisyahu released his July album Spark Seeker as the “first interactive graphic application of its kind on Spotify,” according to Billboard. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek claims artists will lead app innovation by creating “things that we can’t even imagine today.” The search for media that can produce real revenue will surely help drive attempts to push traditional boundaries. Apps can also more closely engage fans, who are increasingly looking for interactive, immersive experience. “YOU’RE an ARTPOP generation,” as Lady Gaga told her “little monsters.”

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